Indiana message boards and social media indicate that many Hoosier fans believe their team will easily beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.
At least one Indiana football player disagrees. Starting Indiana center Pat Coogan was impressed by the Crimson Tide's comeback win against Oklahoma. Coogan said, "Being down 17-0 anywhere against a quality opponent is tough, but especially away in a College Football Playoff game, that is really tough. It's a credit to them and their ability to stay locked in and come back and win. I think it shows the type of culture that they have down there and how big of a challenge it's going to be for us."
No doubt Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti wants his entire team to have the same respect for the challenge Alabama can provide. Googan added that he realizes no lead will be safe against Alabama, as evidenced by the Tide's 27 unanswered points against Oklahoma. As Coogan put it, Alabama "push(ed) all their chips to the middle" in the reversal of its first-round playoff game.
Alabama Crimson Tide 'All In'
Alabama football fans want the Crimson Tide to be 'all in' again in the Rose Bowl from the start, rather than in comeback mode. Talking about Ty Simpson's performance against the Sooners, Alabama Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb said, "I think there was a mindset going into the game that was embedded in Ty. I think it was one that you saw in the Georgia game earlier in the year where there was a little bit of the 'Let it rip' mentality, not worrying so much about what's going on around him or how this could affect anything else, other than just playing ... he was in the zone as far as staying locked into the game."
To take down Indiana, Ty Simpson will need to have that same 'in the zone' presence. Hopefully, Grubb will focus his play-calling on Simpson letting it rip from the Crimson Tide's first possession. Indiana is statistically one of college football's best defenses, but "lesser quarterbacks than Ty Simpson have given the Hoosiers' secondary problems this season." Given adequate protection, an all-in Ty Simpson could riddle the Hoosiers' defense.